Thursday, July 23, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
MAYOR Jerry P. Treñas has ordered a comprehensive inventory of the "abandoned" city housing project in Pavia town after it has come to his attention the presence of some families occupying at least two housing units at the questionable project site.
Treñas said he has directed the City Engineer's Office to conduct the inventory starting July 23, 2009 to determine the truth about some informal settlers already occupying some units of the housing project in Barangay Ungka, Pavia.
The city owns the six-hectare housing project funded with a loan of P130 million from the Philippine Veterans Bank in 2002 designed as low-cost housing units for City Hall employees and other low-income workers.
However, project contractor Ace Builders and Enterprise (ABE) headed by Alexander Trinidad practically abandoned the project in 2003 without finishing its contract and the housing units after City Hall rejected the payment of its fourth billing amounting more than P4 million pesos.
The payment rejection came after complaints rose against the contractor using substandard materials for the housing units.
Treñas said the housing project had already incurred at least three pending cases before the Office of the Ombudsman and any movement for the housing project will have to wait for the resolution of these pending cases.
The city mayor said he has ordered the putting up of enclosure fence of cyclone wire at the back portion of the project area so as not to allow the entry of stray animals and other persons who would like to occupy the housing units.
It was reported that the two families occupying the two housing units have expanded the houses by putting up annexes and one family has a repair shop. Both families claimed they are there as temporary residents by being flood victims of Typhoon Frank and would vacate the area if given a relocation site. (LCP)
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